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When a time of darkness arrives, there isn't much to do except prepare for the worst. With troops rallying, a dead king, and more people beginning to panic, Zelda had to hold her head up high, not only for herself, but for everyone in the Kingdom. She had just lost a father. She had also just lost her freedom. Now, she'd have to take his place, and with the coronation drawing near, it was a miracle that she wasn't completely overwhelmed with all of the changes being made within the Castle. Now she had to rule this country alone, of course, with the help of her advisers. And Impa was still there to give her advice as needed.

This wasn't easy. And for Zelda to have to try to go through all of this and pretend to be okay was absolutely ludicrous. Without warning, the guilt and grief was overwhelming her, and she couldn't bear to even face anyone today. She just wanted to be alone. So when one of the servants had come to wake her up, she immediately shut her doors, locking herself in and keeping to herself. She was not in the mood for more classes, meetings, or facing anyone. Not even a stroll around the castle seemed to cheer her up. Playing her lyre only reminded her more of her father.

In all of this, Zelda mostly did her research on the legendary cycle. Though it was only just a myth among her people, she head onto the legend dearly, believing it wholeheartedly. The reincarnation of the hero would come and bring light and balance back to the world. She just hoped that he would reveal himself soon... they were running out of time. Even so, many civilians were taking matters into their own hands. With the increasing amount of soldiers and casters who worked under the royal family, they would at least be able to slow down the evil until the hero was ready.

Sitting down in a wooden chair that faced the window that revealed the Castle Town beneath them, Zelda was wearing a more casual dress for the evening since she had no plans of going anywhere today. brushing her hair and with a very old book of texts on the Legendary Hero opened up in front of her on the table, she was trying to find any clues as to where he might be or what he might be doing. It had to be an unbreakable spirit. Someone who would not be tempted by evil's bane. There had to be someone like that living in this world, right?

Impa could not imagine how much pressure Zelda felt right now. Though having been on the receiving end of such pressure herself, Impa had been older, much older. In contrast, The Princess was only 19 years old, and no matter how wise she was, the situation would be difficult for a young person like her to deal with. The girl's father had just died, and now she was forced to govern an entire kingdom. And it was not only bad for Zelda herself, but for Hyrule as well. After all, a kingdom lead by a young ruler, who was put under pressure, was bound to find trouble. The only option was for Impa to be by Zelda's side at all times, ensuring she made the right decisions.

But that was the problem. The Princess had seemingly already broken under pressure, and was now secluding herself from the entire kingdom. Though the citizens of Hyrule were resourceful enough to manage things themselves they could not last long without a proper leader. Impa needed to find their leader. She searched everywhere, peered into every room, scanned the library , and even ordered some of the Royal Guard members to search the rest of the city. The only place she had yet to search was the Princess' own room. At least now, with everyone searching elsewhere, her and Zelda could speak privately.

Knowing that Zelda had probably locked herself in her room, Impa ensured that she was clam enough to speak in a soothing manner. Her first few words were her most important. Approaching the large door to the princess' room, she tapped her hand on it gently, three times to ensure Zelda had heard, and spoke in a soft voice, unusual for her.

Hearing someone tap on the door, Zelda immediately turned her head from the window, looking toward it as she heard a familiar voice speak. For a moment, she wasn't sure if she should answer - maybe if she pretended not to hear, Impa would have assumed she were not there. Then again, that would cause a lot of trouble, now wouldn't it? Trouble that was unneeded and very inconvenient for everyone. Sighing, she weighed out her options, knowing she'd have to talk to someone eventually. She couldn't keep herself in her room forever.

"Yes, you may come in," she spoke in a rather dreary tone. Closing the book in front of her immediately, she stood up from the chair, waiting for the doors to open. The last thing she wanted was for Impa to think that she may be overthinking this whole legendary cycle thing. Even if the legend was true, and if Impa said she believed it, what if she thought that Zelda was holding her hopes up a bit too high? What if there were some cases in which the cycle continued, but the hero never came? She had certainly heard stories before where the hero was not discovered until evil had already prevailed. Then they'd have to hope he'd be able to stop it from the inside.

There was just too much information to take in all at once, and relying on such a legend was the only thing that really brought peace to Zelda's mind. It wasn't as though she was trying to weigh this entire burden on one person, but it gave her something to hold onto. And she certainly did not expect the hero to fight alone. She wanted to fight by his side like a true leader would. She couldn't stop thinking about the boy from the courtyard - the familiarity she felt upon meeting him. There must have been something she was missing.

Impa heard the dull tone in which Zelda spoke, and took her time to enter the room, taking slow steps past the door, before shutting it behind her. No one would disturb them. She had been in this room many times before, had grown quite used to it actually, but she had yet to see Zelda in such a...lifeless mood. The wise yet innocent girl Impa had once known was now dreary and bleak. A bad sign.

The Sheikah took note of a small book behind Zelda, but was unable to make out the title. Whatever it was, it was probably just a way of releasing stress, for Zelda at least. Impa turned to face the princess, frowning in a soft, sympathetic way. She rarely released her emotional shackles, but right now was not the time to be a teacher. Right now was the time for her to be a guide.

She walked up to The Princess slowly, stopping a few centimeters away from her. Her eyes sharpening by the tiniest amount, Impa spoke in a more serious tone, yet not one that sounded angry.

When Impa had first walked into the room, Zelda stayed silent, just staring back at her as she noticed that she began to look around. She could see a bit of surprise in Impa's expression upon walking in. For the most part, Zelda was pretty good at keeping her emotions to herself when it came to being sad, so today was probably one of the first days Impa had ever seen her in such a state.

When Impa had then walked up to her, stating that she couldn't stay in here, Zelda wanted to retort, arguing that she could if she really wished to, but she didn't feel like dealing with the consequences of saying something so foolish later on. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes as she leaned up against the wall, she looked over at Impa bitterly to the words she said. Hyrule needs you. Hyrule needed her. Yes, it did, but she already knew that. She knew she'd have to do something about this. It wasn't even that she was scared. She wasn't scared of ruling the country. She wasn't scared of going to war. What she was scared of, was finding out that the hero really didn't exist.

What she was scared of, was that she wouldn't be able to save Hyrule by herself.

"Hyrule can last one day without my presence," she murmured irritably as she sunk back into her chair, her hand brushing over the book.

The moment Zelda closed her eyes to think, Impa believed that Zelda would agree, and return to her normal self. Be it past experience or, dare I say it, a hint of arrogance, Impa was confident in her ability to make Zelda think like her. But her hopes were of course dashed as soon as the princess spoke again, and threw herself back onto her chair, touching the book in front of her.

Impa let out a sigh of disappointment. What Zelda said was true. The civilians were not sheep, and would not be lost after one day without a leader. But the Sheikah doubted that this state of depression would last only one day, and Zelda's tone and posture told her that saying so would not change the young girl's mind. So she would change the subject, perhaps attempt to brighten the mood up a bit. At least she could help Zelda escape the irritated state she was currently in.

Impa peered over the princess' shoulder, her red eyes scanning the book thoroughly. Now able to see it clearly, thanks to Zelda sitting down, she recognized the book from the library. It was an odd mixture of non-fiction and myth. While the cycle of the hero certainly existed-Impa was alive during a time when there was a hero-many of the townsfolk believed it to either be over or false all together. Suddenly, Impa realized that this book-no..this legend, was the only hope that Zelda had left. They both knew that what ever evil lay in the horizon would not be stopped by their forces alone. The hero was necessary.

But Zelda had yet to realize another truth, another part of the legend. And Impa would have to reveal it to her. But she would take her time. Such a shocking revelation should not come suddenly.

"What are you reading about?" She asked.

Last edited by Impa on Mon Mar 16, 2015 8:16 am; edited 1 time in total

As she looked over the book and then back at Impa as she had asked her of what she was reading, Zelda pursed her lips for a moment as she tried to think of what to say. That last thing she needed was for Impa to assume that she was holding onto the grasp of this legend too dangerously. It was as though she were depending on it, which was a risk she was willing to take, despite the rumour of it only being a myth.

"I was reading about the hero," she murmured. "The different heroes over time and how they came to reveal themselves. I thought maybe if I could figure it out... then maybe I'd be able to find the hero more easily. Maybe we're supposed to find him, rather than he find himself," she spoke rather desperately as she opened the pages back to where she had left off. "The last known hero was the bridge between the world of Shadow and Light. He brought peace between the Twilight Realm and the world of Light. The one before that... the Hero of Time. He's my favorite," she chuckled wryly. "Having to go between the future and the past to save the world..."

She trailed off for a moment as her smile faded, looking back at the book. "I just feel like I'm missing something. It all feels so familiar to me, yet I know nothing about it," she sighed. Maybe she was overthinking things again.

Impa saw Zelda's reaction to her question. She was thinking of what to say, when in fact the answer should have been straightforward and simple. Zelda was clearly trying to choose her words carefully. Her slow, almost surprised reaction knew that there was something she did not want others to assume. Before Impa could ponder it further, The Princess gave her answer. The dull tone in which she spoke her words still struck Impa as alien, at least coming from a normally bright girl. But all surprise aside, Impa's suspicions had been confirmed. Zelda was reading about the hero, either out of curiosity or desperation. The change in her tone mid-sentence made Impa lean towards the latter. Perhaps now was not the best time to tell her? No, she needed to know.

The Sheikah heard a soft chuckle, and was suddenly washed over with relief. However mild this action was, it was enough to prove that it was not all doom and gloom for Zelda. She was not lost yet. Impa's mind made itself up the moment Zelda expressed a sense of familiarity with the myth. Most commoners would simply say this was because she had read it so many times, but Impa knew it was far more than a simple memory. This felt like it had happened before because it had happened before.

"Have you read of.." Impa spoke more sternly, more matter-of-fact, but still slightly supple in tone, ".....the other half of the cycle?"

She made sure to introduce this topic slowly. Yes, she was now determined to tell Zelda the truth about her fate, but that did not change the fact that she needed to ensure Zelda took it well. And suddenly revealing that she was the reincarnation of the Godess at a moment of depression would not exactly cheer her up. No, she needed to pique her interest, try to bring her back to her warm, bright self, before telling her anything. After all, she was already under enough pressure as it was. It would be best to relieve her of some of that pressure first.

The other half of the cycle. Zelda knew about it, but she had been so absorbed into the first half with spirit of the hero, she barely paid any attention to the other half. That was the Goddess, was it not? The Goddess Hylia. She was the reason the cycle even existed in the first place - when she and the hero had fought and struck down evil, they then allowed their spirits to become mortal, so they may always be together and save humanity.

It was a tragic love story, really. It was no secret of the devotion between the Goddess and her Hero, and for the two to sacrifice their love to continuously be reborn and re-find each other must have been a very hard decision to make. Despite this, it was known throughout each tale - the spirit of the hero and the spirit of the Goddess were destined to be together, in every legend.

"I've read of it... a long time ago," she nodded. "Usually it is a member of the royal family, but... in times of crisis the vessel of her spirit usually becomes aware, doesn't she?" she frowned. Sure there was speculation, and she even wondered herself if she was perhaps the chosen vessel, but it all seemed a bit too... uncertain.

So the princess had known, her words confirmed it. She was indeed wise, especially when it came to all these myths, but perhaps that was because they acted as pillars, sustaining her during dire moments. Impa knew she couldn't understand Zelda too well right now, but she at least was relieved that the girl was not blind. The sense of familiarity Zelda expressed over the legend meant that she was of age.

'Well, your majesty. As you know, Sheikah such as myself have incredibly long life-spans....long enough to exist before the cycle occurred again.."

It was not like Impa to beat around the bush, but the Sheikah felt it necessary to introduce this role slowly. Even with her cautiousness, the initial shock of having so much more than just a kingdom in your hands would be a staggering blow to Zelda. Impa just hoped she would fare better than when her father died. The Sheikah did not want to have to have another conversation like this. And yet, Impa was also confident in Zelda's mental fortitude. Even if not perfect right now, Zelda would grow strong and strudy, much like Impa herself, and gladly take the mantle of both Queen of Hyrule, and the reincarnation of the Goddess.

But Impa knew that was only half the equation. Even if the princess was the reincarnation, the legend also talks about the hero, which has yet to be found. That would be added to Impa's "To do" list, after she brought some sense into Zelda. With the two of them, they would be able to defeat the evil which lay ahead....hopefully.

Impa had mentioned before in the past that she had been alive during the cycle of the hero and goddess before, though she barely talked of it. Zelda wasn't sure if it was because it was an unfavorable experience for her, or if she just wasn't as involved by then as she is now. Perhaps by that time, she wasn't even working alongside the Royal Family, though she didn't know for sure.

The last cycle that occurred was when the land of shadow had merged with the land of light. Ganondorf had manipulated the twili and used them for his own selfish desires, creating a world of his own and casting out those who didn't follow him. Around that time, her ancestor, a Zelda as well, had been awaiting her coronation as well.

"I'm aware, Impa," Zelda spoke softly, letting her fingers run across the spine of the old book in front of her. "Though you rarely talk about it, I know. What does this have to do with anything though? I already know you believe me..."

Impa did not let Zelda finish her sentence, an action which for her was extremely out of character. But she could no longer baby Zelda. She had to let her know the hard truth.

"The point I am trying to get at is that I was chosen to not only protect the Royal Family, but also to protect the reincarnation of the goddess herself. I was given this job by the goddesses themselves."

Not even allowing Zelda the chance to speak, Impa continued, like a train going at full speed.

"I know who the reincarnation is, Zelda. I know that you are the reincarnation! Like all those before you, those which you have read of, you have been chosen! Regardless of whether or not Hyrule can survive without you, you must do this. Fate itself has chosen you to lead Hyrule, and while we sit her talking dark forces grow stronger, just out of our reach, preparing for one attack. I already have men looking for whoever the hero may be, but until then, we need you!"

She knew this. Zelda knew that the Sheikah were chosen by the Goddess to protect her. It was the very start of the cycle - with the goddess becoming human, she needed protectors. It has always stuck, through every reincarnation, though Zelda wasn't quite sure how to handle the next words that came out of Impa's mouth. She had gone to speak, but was quickly dismissed when Impa began to speak over her.

Her eyes widened a bit. Her hands clenching together in a ball out of instinct and her breath hitching up slightly, she stayed still, just looking at Impa in silence as she had finished her words. She wasn't quite sure what to say, but it was almost as though she couldn't believe what had just happened. There was no way... she would have known, wouldn't she? How could this be? How could Impa know for sure?

"You... how do you know...?" her voice was soft, wavering in worry. "Are you absolutely sure...?"

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